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Larry Smith, Canadian patriot

Posted by Scott Tribe on December 23, 2010, at 7:16 am |

What else can we call him after facing financial hardship in order to nobly serve Harper as a Conservative Senator? Or, at least temporarily, until he has to resign in order to run for a House of Commons seat:

Recently appointed Conservative Senator Larry Smith on Wednesday denied he’s using the Senate to boost his chances of becoming an MP, saying he has taken a “dramatic, catastrophic” pay cut to serve the public…

Senators are paid an annual salary of $132,300.

It must be tough having to live on a “lower-end” 6 figure salary.. I’m sure all the unemployed folks and people struggling on part-time work right now will sympathize with poor Larry.

Smith wasn’t exactly a successful Canadian Football League Commissioner.. and if he continues stuff like this – both in the Senate and in his campaign – he won’t be successful in his quest to become an MP either.

UPDATE @ 3:54 pm: The campaign to help poor Larry Smith and his financial hardship has escalated:

Every time I read a thread destroyed by dim bulb here, I am SO glad google came up with a spam comment feature, just click the name an bingo! What a complete and utter stooge that nobody should bother “debating”….

I wonder whether she carries on the same way in the real world (if she ever pries herself away from her spamputer): does she eavesdrop on conversations in buses or coffee or other bars & repeatedly interrupt by talking trash about everyone else’s alleged hypocrisy?

Where’s Beetlejuice when we need him? How do we banish she back to the depths of Oakville crackpottery from whence she came?

@Redrum, I thought it was a well known fact that her Conservative MP avoids her like the plague. Then there’s the whole Nunziata thing that doesn’t make sense and getting stood up by Iggy at the school dance all those years ago… So much drama.

Merry Christmas BTW. Im enjoying a few rays of sun down in Phoenix before I return to Vangroovy tomorrow.

@SteveV, debate? Liberals are self-immolating. Janine Krieber Face book post was prophetic about the dustbin of history. Ian Davey was correct to point out the failed strategy of freezing the corporate taxrate spend it on new spending programs when Canadians are worried about jobs, economy, pensions and healthcare. (Green Shift 2)

Almost as funny as Ignatieff stating Rob Ford voters will be voting for the Liberals.

@Mark Francis, Evan raised the Liberal talking points about running for MP while in the Senate. Larry informed him he could make more money in the private sector. He was correcting the public record or do you believe $ 132k is the best he could do?

Larry wants to run in a seat that had a margin of 11,000 in 2008. Are you guys so demoralized, you don’t believe you can hold this riding from this rookie candidate?

Has Peter Fonseco Liberal MPP, Oakville Councillor Max Khan candidates for Ignatieff stepped aside to campaign for their seat? How many more Liberal candidates are on the public payroll?

@TofKW, restorting to name calling demonstrates the pettiness and desperation.

No Christmas spirit or good cheer?

Feel free to contact him, I have no contact information. On CBC he has stated he is busy reading the information forwarded to him regarding the Senate.

He has a track record of helping turn things around including fundraising for the local hospital. If you want, go negative and play small politics with his decision to run against a “safe seat” in West Montreal Island.

It is a pity the same pattern is taking place against Ford, Fantino is still considered a winning strategy.

@TofKW, CanadianNumbskull said: “Larry Smith is busy at work on behalf of QC residents as the Senator.”

TofKW, it’s obvious that Canadian Nonsense is making this up as he goes along. Larry Smith, for one, hasn’t a clue about the culture of the majority Francophone Quebecois. In fact, Larry Smith is a nobody in say, in and around Quebec City, Saguenay-Lac St Jean, Lower St Lawrence, Lower North Shore, Abitibi-Temiscamingue, Gaspesie, etc. French Quebec only luvs their hockey; they don’t care about football.

@Will M.,Liberals and the double standard are cute. Is Christmas or the stars joining the wrong team driving your more nuts?

The Senate had two vacancies, now filled. Liberals failed to meet and work with the Conservatives on fixing the Senate when they were in charge and when they had control. They blew it. The provinces have failed except Alberta to hold elections? Looks like your team is talking about accountability and ethics without understanding what the words actually mean.

The Federal AG released several scathing reports on the Liberals. Ontario, BC and Quebec Liberals in the doghouse for their HST, G20, Construction contracts from AG to ombudsmen. The Federal Conservatives are not at 1/7 (14%) in by election of down 50% in donations in two years with a demoralized leader at the helm citing Rob Ford voters are Liberals.

Larry Smith is busy at work on behalf of QC residents as the Senator. Are you suggesting he can’t do the job because he plans to run for office as an MP? Your team signed the coalition papers and pushed the PM to appoint Senators. Its too late crying about it now.

Perhaps Ignatieff should ask Peter Fonseco to resign and the Oakville Councilperson too who have promised to run for the Federal Liberals.

Former labour minister Peter Fonseca should resign his seat in the Ontario legislature now that he’s been appointed as a Liberal candidate in the next federal election, the opposition parties said Wednesday.

Federal Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff on Monday appointed Fonseca as a candidate in the Mississauga East-Cooksville riding that he still represents provincially, eliminating the need for Fonseca to win a local nomination meeting.

The Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats said Fonseca should quit the legislature now, instead of waiting until Prime Minister Stephen Harper calls an election, so he can focus his attention on becoming a Member of Parliament.

“Do the honourable thing, step aside, and demonstrate to his constituents, and to society at large, that he has some integrity and that he’s going to be honest about this,” said Opposition critic Randy Hillier. “He wants to have his cake and eat it as well.”

I think Iggy took a substantial pay cut, too, but I don’t recall hearing him belly-aching about it. It’s Smith’s crybaby whining about the $132,000 pittance that’s annoying. But he’s a CPC senator and Harper appointee so he can’t possibly do anything wrong.

@JimBobby,Larry corrected Evan about the Liberal talking point of salary-gravy train senator pay. He stated corrected he could make alot more doing something else.

I don’t think Ignatieff has the same options as Jim Prentice, Larry Smith, Nigel Wright. Ignatieff may have been born with a silver spoon but I don’t think he was making big money in the UK or the US before moving back to Canada to become PM.

He should have resigned after losing the 2006 race in Montreal. He does not look comfortable or credible pretending to be a pinko stealing the NDP policies.

I don’t agree with Randy Hillier or the NDP. It appears the bloggers share the position of the NDP and Randy Hillier. Thanks for the link, let me know when the apologists join in and demand Max Khan and Peter Fonseco resign their posts to concentrate on campaigns.

Are you asking me to provide links of Ignatieff complaining about being run over by career politicians? Are you asking me to provide you links with Ignatieff pretending to be living paycheck to paycheck?

Ignatieff is not supported by nearly half of Liberal voters. He is toast. Is it fair? Probably not.

Canadian Nonsense, if he’s willing to run then run when there’s an election. As it is, he gets to suck a salary in the senate while campaigning 24/7 in the riding before there even is an election. Bleeding taxpayers while getting nothing done. See a pattern?

@Will M., Apparently you are not happy with the fact he stated $ 132k is a pay cut for him. Is Larry Smith worth more on the open market working on behalf of private companies?

Belinda Stronach makes more money and took a pay cut. She has decided to not return to public service. The recent GG probably took a substantial pay cut as well. The recent Chief of staff for the PMO appears to have as well.

It appears many more high profile or successful people are willing to take a pay cut to join the Conservative than the Liberals or offer themselves to the public service.

Do the Liberals have a brand problem with failing to attract successful people?

You seem unhappy with the fact Larry Smith has been successful and can earn much more than what a Senator is paid. His local ties to Montreal and Quebec seem real. It will make the contest competitive.

@CanadianSense, Canadian Nonsense, But I don’t seem to remember Belinda Stronach or the GG bitching about “catastrophic” pay cuts on the big tv screen.

We don’t have a problem with star candidates being used by any party.

We do, however, have a problem with the fact that this isn’t a level playing field. You gonna tell me every candidate is catapulted to the senate or at the very least, have the resources and connections being in the senate permits one to have? Whatever happened to a level playing field?

This sounds cynical and almost jealous of Larry Smith from Liberal bloggers and posters.

He is willing to run in a long held Liberal riding that had a margin of 11k in 2008. The Senate position is not the finish line. It appears some think the pay and perks are significant and Larry does not. He appears to have deep roots in the community as well.

Another star candidate decided the Conservatives were the best party. See a pattern?

I’d like to know what Larry was making as President of the Als. When you consider that the CFL league minimum in 2010 was 42K and that most players earn under 100K, what was Smith making to consider a drop to 132K as a massive pay cut?